Check-wire gauge for corn planters



Nov. Z5, 1930. E. A. vl-:RNrA 1,782,948

l CHEGK WIREVGUGE FOR CORN RLNTERS l Filed June 26, 1929 ttorneg Patented Nov. 25, 19`30 'Y i i N UNITED STATES, PATENT oFFlcE y y i i Si `mmnsfr vRNIa, or onEnoLT,1owA i "i "annex-WIRE GAUGE ron( conn :PnANtrEns lAppnaaon mea :rune 2e, i929. seriino. avesse` iIhis invention relates to a check wire auge i Referring" more particularly. to the "d raW` for corn planters, yand more particular y `re. ing, I `have illustrated aconventional type of` lates to a gauge which is permanentlymountcorn planter at A which "is provided at its ed on the corn planter and which maybe emrear with the usual scraper bar or frameB,

5 ployed to indicatethe proper tension of Vthe and while Iillustrate the gauge as being se- 55 check Wire prior to setting the wire stakes at cured to the scraper bar, it is to be understood the endof the field. thatit may be secured to any part of the corn An object of my invention is to provide a planter frame. i 'very simple, inexpensive anddurablegauge `The gauge-comprises a tubular or otherwhich is removablyattached` to somefpart Wise shaped sleeve l which is provided with 6o4 ofthe corn' planter so that it is always readielongated slots 2 and 3 atdiametrically op-l lyavailable and cannot be misplaced or lostf posite points; i i y i i A further objectof "my inventionis to The sleeve lis secured to thelscraperbar provide `a gaugewhich will indicate `accu- B of the planter by means ofa clamp com-` ratelythetensionlof the wirebeingsetand prising the jaw members cand 5 connected V65 y which is operable from eitherfside Aofthe ma` bymeans of intermediate webs 6 and 7 chine. f -V n through which the bolt 8 is adaptedto pass An additionalobject of the present invenand carries on theend thereof a nut 9 by tion is to provide a gauge whichmay be readimeans of which the jaw members 4 and 5 may ly attached orpdetachedto'standard'types of be drawn intol firm engagement with the 70 corn planters without anyV modification scraper rod B of the corn planter and also thereof. into engagement with'the tubular sleeve l.

i Further objects andadvantages of my'in- Fromlan inspectiona of, Figs. l and 3, it i vention will be clearly apparent as the dewill be seen that two of such clampsare em`` scription proceeds when taken in connection ployed, but, itis of course," understood that 75V with the accompanying drawings, andwhile any suitable number may he used as found I` have here illustrated what I consider the desirable. d

perferred embodiment of my invention,I de'- Slidably mounted within the tubular `sire it to be understood that modifications sleeve l isa pointer rod l0 carrying the inthe details of construction, arrangement of pointer 11? intermediate the ends thereof, 80

parts orthefinish` thereof may be resorted t0 which pointer projects through an opening without `departing fromthe spiritor scope of l2 in the pointer rod l() and has itslowerend the claims hereunto appended. 13 projecting belowV said rod 10. i v

' In the drawings l J At theupper end of` the Apointer `ll, Ipro- V Figure lis afragmentaryplan view o'f'my 'vide a head of diamond or other suitable B5 device attached to the rear vofa 'conventional shape, i i i type of corn planter. On the endof the pointerrod 10, I form lFig. 21s' a vertical central sectional view suitable bracketsf'lt and l5 inwhich are j ourthrough the gaugemas illustrated in Figll, naled grooved rollers `landl 40 and through rear vof the CornV plall'tQFWhCh `From the foregoing, it "will be 5seen that by 90 of Fig. 2.-

supports the gauge. Y y i Y pulling the checlr'wire at an angle` over the Fig. 3 is a detail vertical Sectional view of roller 16,` the tendency of the pointerrod l0,

the sleeve surrounding the pointer I'Od. as illustrated in Fig.` 2, will beto move to Fglisa sectional view along the line4-4 the right and that when the check wire is i y i pulled over the roller l7,`thepointerfrod will 9" i Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through move to theleft, as illustrated in Fig. I2. It the line 5-45 of Fig. 2 and; is necessary, therefore, to provide some .Fig-6 isa detail sectional view of the inmeans for returning the pointer 'rod l() to dicia bearing sleeve andthe means for seits normal position,"that is, where the pointer curing the same in position. will register zero. 100

In order to accomplish this result, I provide an indicia sleeve 18 which encircles the tubular sleeve 1 and is secured thereto by means of collars 19 and 2O having reduced portions 21 and 22 fitting within the indicia sleeve 18 and the collars 19 and 2O are secured to the sleeve 1 by means of set screws 23 and 24 which bear upon the sleeve 1 and support the indicia sleeve 18 in spaced relation with the sleeve 1, the space being determined by the thickness of the reduced portions 21 and 22 of the collars 19 and 20.

The indicia sleeve 18 is provided with an elongated slot 25 which is adapted to register with the opposed elongated slots 2 and 3 in the tubular sleeve 1, and from an inspection of F ig. 2, it will be seen that the pointer 11 projects through the slots 2 and 3 in the sleeve 1, and the slot 25 in the indicia sleeve 18.

The sleeve 18 carries a suitable scale thereon, preferably starting with Zero at its center and progressing toward opposite ends of the sleeve 18.

`Within the space formed between the indicia sleeve 18 and the tubular sleeve 1, I provide a plurality of coiled springs 26 and 27 on opposite sides of the pointer 11.

The spring 26 bears at one end on the block 19 and at its opposite end against the pointer 1l and the spring 27 bears at one end against the block 2() and at its other end against the pointer 11.

It will be seen, therefore, that the springs 26 and 27 normally tend to maintain the pointer 11 at the center of the scale and that pressure applied to either of the rollers 1G or 17 will move the pointer correspondingly against the tension of the springs 26 and 27, but when the pressure is removed, the pointer returns to its normal central position on the scale.

By providingthe pointer 11 with the extension 13, it will be seen that the springs 26 and 27 have a bearing surface on opposite sides of the pointer rod 10 and that, therefore, there is no tendency for the pointer rod 10 to stick or become jammed in the tubular sleeve 1 which would be likely to occur if the springs 26 and 27 bore against the pointer 11 at only one side of the pointer rod 10. K

In 1, I have illustrated a check wire 28 provided with buttons or similar enlargements 29 by means of which the depositing mechanism of the corn planter is operated in the conventional manner, and it is to be noted that this check wire is drawn at an angle over the roller-16. The person operating the planter and desiring to tension the wire 28 to the desired degree may do so by pulling the wire 28 across the roller 16 at an angle as illustrated., whereupon the pointer 11 will be moved along` the scale to indicate the degree of tension attained.

Upon determining such tension, the stake to which the wire 28 is attached may then be set. It is clearly apparent that by providing the two rollers 16 and 17, the foregoing operation may be carried out on either side of the machine.

It is further to be seen that While the device is detachably secured to the corn planter, it forms a permanent part of the same when applied and may not be readily lost or displaced so that it is always available when required for use as distinguished from known devices for the same purpose which usually comprise, so far as I am aware, spring gauges attached to the stakes and not to the corn planter itself.

In F 6, I have indicated the head of the pointer 11 as being secured to the pointer by means of a screw threaded stud 11', but it is to be understood that the head may be made integral therewith or may be secured to the pointer 11 in any suitable manner. In addition, I have illustrated the pointer rod 10 as being of rectangular cross section and while such construction offers less resistance to movement within the tubular sleeve 1, it is to be understood that I may employ a pointer rod of any suitable shape.

Additionally, it will be seen that my device is extremely simple, inexpensive and vet eeient, and that it can be applied by unskilled laborers to corn planters of conventional types Without the necessity of making changes in the construction of the corn planter.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the gauge is operated by pulling the check wire around either of the rollers 16 or 17 at a forty live degree angle more or less and that the gauge is operated by pulling the wire in such a manner that the planter wires are always at exactly the same tension. Therefore, the corn is planted very much straighter than would be the case if the tension of the wires varied, and with my invention it has been found that with the wires at exactly the same tension, the lield may be planted with the rows running crosswise of the field in a stra-ight line inthe direction in which the planter is traveling so that it is as easy to operate crosswise of the field as it is to operate in the direction in which the planter is driven.

l/Vhat is claimed is:

`1. A device of the character described comprising a sleeve for detachable connection with a planter, a rod slidable in the sleeve and carrying rollers at opposite ends thereof, a pointer on said rod movable therewith upon contact of one of said rollers with a check wire, an indicia carrying sleeve having a scale thereon cooperating with said pointer, and means for maintaining said pointer intermediate the ends of said indicia carrying sleeve.

2. A device of the character described comprising a sleeve adapted to be secured. to a planter, a rod slidably mounted in said sleeve n and carrying a pointer thereon, means on `comprising a sleeve,a rod slidable in said i sleeve carrying a pointerthereon, an indicia carrying sleeve embracing the Iirst mentioned sleeve and spacedftherefrom, springs coacting with said pointer to normally maintain the pointer intermediate the ends of the inindicia carrying device, and means for maintaining the pointer normally at a point in- Y termediate the ends of the indicia carrying device and which is movable to different positions with relation to said scale under the inluence of movement of saidsecond mentioned member when actuated under the influence of a check wire operated over either of the ends of said second mentioned member. n

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset f my hand this 20thday of June, 1929.

ERNEST A. VERNIA.

dicia carrying sleeve, and means on opposite ends of the sliding rod engageable with the check wire. Y

4. In a device of the character described, a sleeve adapted to be secured to a planter, a

rod slidable therein and carrying a pointer i thereon, an indicia carrying sleeve embracing the first mentioned sleeve, spaced'blocks on the first mentioned sleeve having reduced portions itting within the ends of the indicia carrying sleeve'and having means thereon for securing the same to the first mentioned sleeve, whereby the reduced portions of said blocks maintain the indicia carrying sleeve in spaced relation with the flrst mentioned sleeve, and springs on opposite sides of said pointer lying within said space and resiliently maintaining the pointer normally at a point intermediate the ends of the indicia carryingsleeve.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a sleeve adapted to be4 secured to a planter, a rod slidable in said sleeve and having rollers on its opposite ends engageable with a check wire, a pointeron said rod, the

said sleeve having opposite elongated slots through which the pointer projects, an'in dicia carrying sleeve embracing the first mentioned sleeve and having an elongated slot therein registering Vwith the slots in the first mentioned sleeve and through which said pointer projects, a scale on said indicia carrying sleeve, and springs Within the last mentioned sleeve on opposite sides of the pointer and engaging the same to normally maintain the pointer at a pointintermediate the ends of the indicia carrying sleeve. j o 6; A device of the character described comprising a hollow member adapted to be sehollow member and having its ends projecting beyond the ends of the hollow member, thel hollow member having a slot therein, a pointer carried by `said second mentioned `member and projecting through the slot of the hollow member, an indicia-carrying device connected to said hollow member and disposed with relation to the slot in the latter for coaction with said pointer, a scale on said cured to a planter, a member slidable on said 

